Why do they advertise 2AM Closing and Close at 1AM

Yea that’s not right. They may close an hour early because business is paltry but someone coming in at 12:45 is then owed a refund or price off the bar tab. The one caveat is the non dancer side of the staff are likely not highly paid and at a very slow 1am are not enthusiastic about tracking down a customer to give back money. You’ll need to bring it to their attention to at least get free admission next time.

When not a Thu, Fri or Sat, call and ask. Most clubs close earlier than the advertised time and even if they stay open, the dancers have already left - and you generally find the cleaning crew.

That's why I try to avoid the first 2 and last 2 hours at most clubs unless I know they typically have a good crowd at those times. I might take a chance at a club without a cover charge but there is no way I pull into a club that I am not familiar with and pay a $25 cover near opening or closing hours just to run the risk of there being no dancers or them closing early. Sure, I've been burned by getting to clubs at other times only to find no dancers, but the odds are much higher during the first 2 and last 2 hours at a lot of slower clubs.

^^tuscl66^^ No worries about finding a cleaning crew at Delilah's Manville

depends on the manager/bouncer, if the place is empty they'll close early like any other.

Excellent point regarding not going too early.

Or took me awhile to stop trying to rope-drop clubs. It sounds good in theory, but ultimately you end up staring at a TV or drinking alone for awhile.

For some clubs, I've learned what time dancers typically start dancing, so now I can arrive around the time the dancing starts, rather than bonding with the bartender between opening and dance sets.

Honestly, the managers are very nice if you nicely bring up the fact that you literally just walked in within the last few minutes they might give you one of there free admission cards. I went in one time and it was best and I had to leave and I was given one without even asking when I mentioned there was no dancers in the time I was there(a little after shift change)

Correction beat not best